New Bedford School Committee unanimously OKs $116.4M budget

Tuesday

May 6, 2014 at 12:01 AMMay 6, 2014 at 12:11 AM

NEW BEDFORD — The School Committee on Monday night unanimously approved Superintendent Pia Durkin's request for a $116.4 million budget — a 6.4 percent, or $7 million, increase over the current budget.

CAROL KOZMA

NEW BEDFORD — The School Committee on Monday night unanimously approved Superintendent Pia Durkin's request for a $116.4 million budget — a 6.4 percent, or $7 million, increase over the current budget.

Mayor Jon Mitchell will now bring the school's fiscal year 2015 budget to the City Council.

Durkin received strong support throughout the evening from the committee, as well as local businesses, including banks, local employers, and principals, during a public speaking portion of the meeting.

Mitchell said the $7 million increase is "the largest budgeted increase" the city has ever seen and that it "reflects the prioritization of education."

"We have to continue to beat that drum," he said.

Mitchell, the committee chairman, called the budget efficient, streamlined, and stable, adding that this year the committee started to develop it earlier than in past years.

The budget for this fiscal year ending June 30 is $109.4 million.

Durkin said the budget had to balance the systemic needs of the district and the individual needs of each schools.

"It's very very important for the committee to understand this is the beginning of a foundation for recovery," she said, stressing that "it is by no means an endpoint."

The budget includes the cost of the $2.2 million turnaround plan for struggling New Bedford High School, along with the estimated $500,000 cost of the turnaround plan for the Parker School, now in state receivership.

It also includes the Reading Street Core Literacy Program, that will replace the 11-year old Open Court program the elementary schools currently use; the latter does not teach to the new state common core standards.

The books that will be used in all of the city's elementary schools come to a total cost of $1.9 million. That sum will be paid over three years, Durkin said.

"In some ways tonight we are starting the budget of fiscal year 16 and fiscal year 17," she said.

School Committee member Lawrence Finnerty asked the superintendent if she is getting what she needs in this budget.

Durkin said, "I will never have everything I need." She went on to say that because the district has not addressed all of the schools' needs over the past few years, the budget "is our first step to try and meet that cumulative effect."

She added "I do feel that this is a budget that we can live with."

The bottom line budget is 1.8 percent over Net School Spending, or the minimum amount the state requires schools to spend.